Shackled City (Eberron)

Changelings

Changelings are subtle shapeshifters capable of disguising their appearance. They evolved through the union of doppelgangers and humans, eventually becoming a separate race distinct from either ancestral tree. They do not possess the full shapechanging ability of a doppelganger, but they can create effective disguises at will. This ability makes them consummate spies and criminals, and many changelings live up to that potential.

Personality:
In general, changelings are prudent and cautious, preferring to take risks only when they feel that their chances of success are good or the payoff is worth it. They appreciate the ﬁner things in life and take great pleasure in the comforts of a wealthy lifestyle when they can obtain it. They avoid direct confrontation, preferring stealthy strikes and hasty retreats whenever possible. In conversation, they are soft-spoken but have a gift for drawing out more information than the other party intends to reveal.

Physical Description:
Changelings strongly resemble their doppelganger lineage, with only a passing nod to their human heritage. All changelings fall within the boundaries of Medium size, usually standing between 5 and 6 feet tall. Unlike true doppelgangers, changelings do have gender in their natural form, although they can adopt any shape they like. Changelings have pale grayskin, and their hair is thin and fair. Their limbs are long and slightly out of proportion compared to other humanoids. Their faces have slightly more distinct features than a doppelganger’s, including a hint of nose and lips, though their eyes remain blank white and the rest of their facial features don’t look quite as ﬁnished as those on a human.

Relations:
Nobody with any sense completely trusts a changeling. Many people, however, have reason to do business with them. Most members of other races treat changelings with extreme caution. Dwarves have little patience for their deceptive and subtle manner. Halﬂings, on the other hand, enjoy matching wits with changelings, though they are often rivals in certain shady activities.

Alignment:
Changelings of all alignments exist, but most gravitate toward the neutral alignment. They focus on their own concerns without any meaningful regard for laws or morals. Many have their own code of honor butare also ﬁercely independent. Some refuse to engage in assassination, while others embrace that path as the most perfect form of the changeling art of deception.

Changeling Lands:
Changelings live wherever humans do in Khorvaire, blending in among them and living in their shadow. They are most commonly found in the large cities of Khorvaire, where they form the back-bone of the criminal underworld, though many ﬁnd more respectable work as entertainers, inquisitives, government agents, and sometimes adventurers. Changelings have no established homeland of their own.

Dragonmarks:
Changelings never develop dragonmarks, though they can mimic a mark’s form if not its power.

Religion:
Many changelings revere the deity known as the Traveler, one of the Dark Six. Others follow a personal philosophy of the perfect form, in which physical transformation is a mystical practice symbolizing spiritual puriﬁcation. This philosophy is curiously amoral, and it’s practitioners include both assassins and saintly ascetics.

Language:
Changelings speak Common, which allows them to move easily among humans and members of allother races. They often learn as many other languages as they can to facilitate a multitude of disguises.

Names:
Changeling names are usually monosyllabic and seem to other races more like nicknames than proper names. In fact, changelings collect names and may go by entirely different names in different social circles. They make no distinction between male and female names.

Adventurers:
Changeling adventurers might be ﬂeeing from past crimes, seeking revenge for a wrong done to them, or striving for spiritual perfection through the use of their shapechanging abilities. Others are driven to adventure through a simple lack of other palatable opportunities: Changelings who are not inclined toward crime or stealth often have difﬁculty ﬁnding steady work.

Changeling Racial Traits

+2 to one ability score: Changelings gain a +2 bonus to one ability score chosen at creation, to represent their varied nature.

Medium: Changelings are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed: Changelings have a base speed of 30 feet.

Humanoid (shapechanger): Changelings are considered to be both shapechangers and humanoids for the purpose of spells and other effects.

Minor Change Shape (Su): A changeling may change his appearance as a full-round action. This functions as the disguise self spell, except that it is a transmutation effect which affects the changeling’s body but not his possessions, and lasts until he changes his appearance again or dies.